Census Bureau and Northwestern University Open Data Lab in Chicago 12/18/2002
From: T. Lynn Riggs, 312-423-4692, tlriggs@frbchi.org, or Robert Bernstein of the Census Bureau, 301-763-3030/457-3670 (fax), 301-457-1037 (TDD), pio@census.gov CHICAGO, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Census Bureau and Northwestern University will formally open a research data center (RDC) laboratory Thursday, Dec. 19, in Chicago, the eighth such center in the country. Centrally located in Chicago's "Loop," the new RDC offers qualified researchers restricted access to unpublished economic and demographic data collected by the Census Bureau. RDC operating procedures, strict security and strong legal safeguards are designed to protect the confidentiality of the data. Similar centers already exist in Washington; Boston; Pittsburgh; Los Angeles; Berkeley, Calif.; Durham, N.C.; and Ann Arbor, Mich. "The Chicago Research Data Center is located near a large and accomplished research community," said Bruce Spencer of Northwestern University's Institute for Policy Research. "The center will enable area scientists to conduct more powerful social research while protecting the confidentiality of census data. In addition, the Census Bureau benefits from methodological work to improve collection, analysis and evaluation of the data." Spencer said research topics will include the relationship between energy, the environment and economic activity; changes in the structure of the economy in Chicago and the nation; technological and organizational change; corporate governance and finance; information dissemination; jobs, unemployment and work retraining; crime; health and child care; immigration; and other issues. Before being allowed to access data at RDCs, researchers work with the RDC administrator to generate a proposal, which is then submitted to the Census Bureau for approval. The review process will determine if the proposed research is feasible, has scientific merit and benefits Census Bureau programs, as required by law. The Chicago site was chosen jointly by the Census Bureau and the National Science Foundation. Financial and administrative support for the RDC is being provided by Northwestern University; the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; the University of Illinois at Chicago; the University of Chicago; and Argonne National Laboratory; as well as by a three-year, $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Editor's Note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the Census Bureau's Internet homepage at http://www.census.gov. |